A very serious storm is forecast to affect us late this weekend and possibly into early next week. A very strong Hurricane is currently of the coast of Florida and is forecast to move up the eastern seaboard. The exact track if the storm is uncertain and will a play a major role in how bad the weather conditions will be. We will be monitoring the storm closely and will brief you with the latest information as we receive it.

For safety’s sake, don’t touch or approach any downed wire. Assume it is energized and dangerous. Call Central Hudson immediately Electrical Interruption/ Emergency Phone: 845-452-2700 or 800-527-2714 on the situation, you may also want to call State Police or the Sheriff’s Office to divert traffic until an Central Hudson crew arrives.

Maintain a distance of at least 50 feet from downed wires and anything they are in contact with including puddles of water and fences. Supervise your children so that they are not in the vicinity and keep pets on a leash.

If a fallen wire is draped over a car, do not approach the car and make rescue attempts. Remain a safe distance away, and try to keep the occupant of the vehicle calm. If possible, emergency personnel should handle the situation.

Stock up on non-perishable food, bottled water, manual can opener, baby supplies and pet food. Set your refrigerator and freezer controls to their coldest settings. Fill the bathtub with water.

If you experience a power outage, don’t assume that Central Hudson automatically knows about it or that someone else will report it. To be sure the outage is reported, please call Central Hudson toll-free at 1-800-527-2714 to let Central Hudson know what happened. The more information you can provide, the more Central Hudson can help you.

Remember, if the base station of your cordless phone plugs into the wall, your phone will be unusable during a power outage.

If a family member relies on electrically operated medical devices, secure a portable generator or make alternate arrangements for care.